New Delhi: Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Sunday hit out at BJP leader Arun Jaitley for his criticizm of Press Council of India Chief Markandey Katju over Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, calling it "unnecessary and outlandish."

In a statement, Singh expressed surprise at Jaitley's attack on the former Supreme Court judge, saying that what Katju had stated in his newspaper article on development in Gujarat are based on facts from authoritative sources in the public domain.

"I am very surprised to read totally unnecessary and outlandish statement of Arun Jaitley against Justice Markandey Katju," Singh said in a statement.

"Is it wrong on the part of the Chairman of Press Council to question the issue of Paid News in Gujarat? he asked.

Justice Katju is one of the very eminent Judges of Indian Judiciary who has always called "a Spade a Spade", he said.

"Post retirement he has been writing on different current issues in a most forthright manner without any kind of bias against any one," the AICC General Secretary added.

Jaitley and Katju were on Sunday locked in a bitter war of words over the latter's article critical of Modi with the two asking each other to resign.

Jaitley dubbed Katju as "more Congress than the Congress" and said his attacks on non-Congress governments whether in West Bengal, Bihar or Gujarat seem more in the nature of "thanks-giving" to those who provided him with a post- retirement job." He demanded that Katju resign from his post.The Press Council of India Chief hit back at Jaitley accusing him of twisting facts and asked him to quit politics.